Fishy Chronicles 24: Clearing The Fog

I waited a day to call Roma. I tried a couple of times.

By chance, I saw Aunty Glory lugging groceries home. Uncle John was in Goa - I had noticed her in the balcony many times during the day, catching sight of the cigarette smoke from between her potted plants on the balcony's ledge. Her cigarette was usually balanced on a tiny blue enamel ashtray, wedged between two flower pots so that it wasn't blown away.

How did she start smoking, I'd asked Papa. "Oh, it was glamorous in those days. But Glory just wanted to shock people's pants off, and then got hooked."

I was shocked at what Papa said, but I shouldn't have been.

Illustration by A. Peter

"What's the latest on the holiday drama, my dear?" Aunty Glory asked.

"Eva's getting along a friend - a man."

Aunty laughed. It was like many ducks quacking. Very unladylike, my mother in law - ex - had sniffed once.

"Roma's very disturbed and Genie upset her more. She didn't pick up my calls today."

"Well, she must be busy," Aunty said.

"Probably." I felt better.

"What did Genie say to throw off Roma? Hard to imagine him upsetting her. They have such great chemistry."

I dropped one of Aunty's bags. "Er, chemistry?"

She was rummaging through her handbag, looking for her key. The lift door opened and I hefted the bags to Aunty's door and waited.

"You didn't notice?" Some shrill quacks. "Oh, my darling, you don't notice a thing! They're attracted to each other. And what's not to like. At another time and place, they might have got together. Maybe. But probably not."

"Why not?"

"Well, for one, their paths should cross. Roma's parents married her early, as did all you girls."

I nodded. That great Indian tradition of marrying a woman off as early as possible. Ninety percent of the time the marriage worked. But really, who knew. A few years on the chance of a happy marriage might be an unusual theme only found in old books.

Aunty continued, "Don't worry, dear. She's too rational to fool around. And despite those silly people she lives with, she seems to manage them well. Yes, my dear, manage them. Not a bad thing at all, but not everyone's cup of tea."

"You mean manipulation, no? However hard I tried, I couldn't please anyone," I mumbled.

"Well, don't have a pity party. Better to end it than be unhappy forever." My friend Anjali had put it baldly. "You got your life back." Only, it had made me miserable to hear her say it. But as the years passed - and I settled into my singleness and caught my balance - I understood what she meant.

"Is their divorce final?"

I felt shock course through me. I thought of Roma and Georgy splitting and then realised Aunty was asking about my cousin Eva and her husband Ashok.

"N-No, Aunty. Not that we've heard of."

"Oh... Oh!" Aunty opened her mouth several times, but no words came.

"What, Aunty Glory?"

"Nothing, dear."
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This is a fictional series surrounding the narrator and her former manservant, and now friend, Genie.

                                        ******

"Why did you run off yesterday, Roma?" I managed to pin down my cousin in the evening.

"I didn't."

"You ran like Satan was after you."

"Hahaha! I was in a hurry to get home. I realised today that if I manage my time better, I can sit in the BMC park for a bit - before I have to get home."

"Why would you do that?"

"I want to hear myself think," Roma said.

"Come here if you want to spend time away from everyone. You know you can come here - anytime."

"Oh... darling! You're so sweet. Of course, I'd come to you. Or I'd just kick someone's butt. That seems way easier than running away."

"It's not running away!" I protested.

"I know, I know. That came out badly. I meant I'd only run if Georgy was with me. And imagine what my kids would do to Fish if I turned up there."

"Okay. Are you going to tell Eva to stay away?"

"No. She can screw herself however she likes. And we're both going to be there to watch."

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Fishy Chronicles 23: Out Of Love

Genie opened the front door and smiled broadly. I stood up immediately. I was curious to know who made him happy. Even Fish were excitedly shimmying up and down their tank.

"What a surprise," Genie said, and moved aside.

"Good or bad?" Roma said. Sometimes I thought my cousin was flirting with Genie and at other times I thought she needed the stimulation - intellectual and otherwise. This was her third visit in several weeks.

"All well, Roma?" I asked.

"Yes." She hugged me tightly. "Any rum cake left over from Christmas?"

I tried not to look at Genie. I had hidden away a few pieces - mostly for Roma and Aunty Glory. Luckily, Genie was already moving into the kitchen to make tea. I hated the idea of making rum cake through the year - it was a Christmas tradition and it needed to stay that way.

"Anything wrong?" I asked Roma. She had tossed her bag on the table, was scratching her head and looking for a place to sit. I pushed her into an armchair.

"Eva's bringing a friend on the trip," Roma said, rummaging through her purse now.

"Okay." Roma's family had invited a pair of our married relatives for a brief holiday with them. Only the couple was in the middle of an estrangement.

Cousin Roma drops in. She stresses about an upcoming family trip. She asks Genie for advice, but is unhinged by his response.

"You don't want to know who?" Roma asked.

"Not really. But if the excitement quotient is going to shoot through the roof, why not."

Roma turned to me. "Sometimes you have a lousy attitude!"

"Why? Because I'm not interested in what's going on with a cousin who doesn't give me the time of day?"

"You're imagining it. She's always cared for you."

"Ok, ok, okay! I want to vomit. So who's the friend?"

"Some Bengali guy she says she's friends with."

"Abhijeet Baruah?"

"How did you know?!"

"I didn't!" I looked at a spot behind Roma's ear.

"Spit it out!"

"They banter a lot on Facebook."

"You're on her Facebook list, stalking her and here you say you're not interested in her!"

"Yes. I'm an utter hypocrite. Some cake, Genie?" I turned away from Roma, holding out the plate to Genie. He was now sitting in an armchair on my left and watching us.

"You knew there was something brewing and you didn't tell me?!" Roma said.

"I don't know anything! Eva banters with many people - men and women. But lately it's been this guy - he's always got a comment." Very flirty comments and he was a good looking specimen. I wondered why the guys in my list were not Adonises. Did we just attract our own types even on Facebook?

"Well, this Baruah is joining us on our holiday!"

"What's Eva trying to do? Doesn't she want to fix things with Ashok?" My mind was racing - why bring an outsider to a private family gathering and make even more of a mess. Worse, what if this Baruah found out we were all certified nutcases. "Tell her not to bring him, Roma! Do your in laws know?"

"No."

"Whattttt?!" I laughed... and laughed, until Genie goosed me.

"Explain that!"

"Sorry, Roma. The shock value is going to be intense! What about your parents, do they know?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"And nothing! Dad said Eva was an adult and could handle the consequences of her actions herself."

"What bullshit! Did you actually hear Uncle say it?"

"Quiet! I need to think."

I couldn't understand it. Eva's husband Ashok was handsome and going places - the kind of guy a social climber wanted. "Is she trying to kill her marriage?" I said.

"Seems like it," Roma muttered. Genie pushed her mug of cooling tea closer to her. She looked at him. "What would you do in this situation, Genie?"

He shifted slightly in his seat, "You don't want to know."

"What would you do?" Roma repeated.

"I would... counsel Eva against bringing her boyfriend and ask her to treat Ashok with respect during the holiday."

Roma cleared her throat, "And if Eva still wants to bring along the boyfriend?"

"Uninvite her."

"It's not that simple."

"Actually, it is."

"We can't make her."

"You can. And you can advise her that any unreasonable behaviour and avoidable rudeness would cost her the already tenuous affection and support of her family, which they are according her at great personal cost."

After a while, Genie asked, "Why did your father agree to let Eva bring her boyfriend?"

Roma's mouth tightened and her nostrils flared. Finally, she smiled coolly and stood up, "Beats me. Got to go."

Genie stood up and walked Roma to the door. I waved to Roma from my window. She didn't turn and walked away quickly.

Genie was now sitting in his armchair, one leg over the other, slowly drinking his tea.

"What happened, Genie?"

He shrugged his shoulders and continued to sip his tea.

"Your tea is cold, Genie."

He raised his mug and grinned. "Warm. Wouldn't want to waste a good cup of tea."

"Why did Uncle tell Eva it was okay to bring her boyfriend?"

The grin subsided. "Think about it."

"Nothing comes to mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

He put his tea mug on the coffee table, next to the two mugs of cooling, undrunk tea. "What is the worst that could happen on the trip?"

My eyes flew over his face, fixed on his eyes. It would be the end of Eva and Ashok. Was that what Uncle wanted - for his own sister's daughter? He had been there for my parents at their lowest point, but I had often felt his disapproval. He had told me a few times that I hadn't tried hard enough to save my marriage - that I should have hung on even if it killed me.

Genie picked up the tea mugs and walked away. I heard water gush from the kitchen tap. I was afraid to ask. I didn't want to know. But my fearless cousin knew. And it had bothered her enough to flee.